Embry-Riddle opened day 2 of the Halo Classic with a commanding performance, sweeping #24 William Carey in straight sets (25-18, 25-16, 25-16) at the UWAC facility in San Antonio before falling in their second game of the day 3-2 (25-23, 27-25, 22-25, 19-25, 13-15) to Oklahoma City.
Game 1
The team posted an impressive .287 hitting percentage, led by standout performances from Anela Chew and Emma Barber. Chew led all scorers with 12 kills on 22 swings (.364), while Barber added 7 kills and 5 digs, hitting .368. Alexsandra Rodriguez contributed 8 kills and 3 digs, and setter Alice Tuci orchestrated the offense with 32 assists and 2 service aces.
Defensively, ERAU was equally sharp, tallying 44 digs and 2 solo blocks. Libero Alexis Creager anchored the back row with 15 digs, while Ronni Lyons and Hie Loui added 6 and 5 digs respectively.
William Carey struggled to find rhythm, hitting just .162 as a team. Despite a strong effort from Agnes Hegardt (7 kills, .462) and Alyssa Portee (8 kills), the team couldn't overcome the Eagles consistent pressure. WCU's best set came in the opener, which featured 8 tie scores and 4 lead changes, but ERAU pulled away late to secure the win.
Game 2
ERAU (2-2) started strong, taking the first set and pushing the second to extra points, but OCU (3-1) responded with resilience, winning three of the final four sets. The match featured 36 tie scores and 18 lead changes, highlighting the intensity and competitiveness throughout.
Offensive Leaders:
- Rodriguez led ERAU with 11 kills and 13 points, hitting .222 on 27 attempts.
- Hannah Clear added 11 kills with an impressive .400 hitting percentage.
- Barber contributed 9 kills and 3 digs.
- Chew chipped in 9 kills and 4 digs.
Setting and Defense:
- Tuci ran the offense with 34 assists and added 14 digs.
- Creager anchored the back row with 19 digs and a service ace.
- ERAU totaled 68 digs and 6 solo blocks, with Haeden Baker and Barber contributing defensively at the net.
Despite the Eagles balanced attack and strong defensive effort, OCU's offense proved slightly more efficient, hitting .223 as a team compared to ERAU's .164. OCU's Kaylie Marshall led all players with 20 kills and 21 points, while Grace Smallwood added 16 kills and 19 digs.
Embry-Riddle will head to Southern California to play in the HIU Summer Slam at Hope International University.